mellifluous

[muh-lif-loo-uhs]

adjective

1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: mellifluous tones.

   a mellifluous voice;

   mellifluous tones.

   Synonyms: harmonious, dulcet, musical, melodious

2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey.

mellifluous

/ mɪˈlɪflʊəs /

adjective

1. (of sounds or utterances) smooth or honeyed; sweet

Other Word Forms

• mellifluously adverb
• mellifluousness noun
• unmellifluous adjective
• unmellifluously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of mellifluous¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin mellifluus, equivalent to Latin melli- (stem of mel ) “honey” + -flu(ere) “to flow” + -us adjective suffix ( -ous )

Word History and Origins

Origin of mellifluous¹

C15: from Late Latin mellifluus flowing with honey, from Latin mel honey + fluere to flow

Example Sentences

Joyce’s words rang out mellifluously at the start of the production, but as the main characters emerged from the reading, some of the musicality of the writing was lost.

From Los Angeles Times

Known for his conversational style and a smooth, mellifluous voice, Marcus is a one-man operation, serving as his own engineer and equipment manager.

From Los Angeles Times

The mellifluous tenor that narrated Dodgers games for generations of Spanish-language listeners hasn’t weakened.

From Los Angeles Times

The chatter mostly unfolds, in mellifluous French, over white tablecloths and stainless steel countertops, with no PowerPoints or government office furniture in sight.

From Los Angeles Times

Neither a fluid singer nor an especially powerful one, he did not have the mellifluous timbre of Crosby or the rakish swing of Sinatra.

From New York Times